For European fans of the Inazuma Eleven franchise it's been a slow process to get hold of the first two DS titles, especially considering the fact that Japan is already into a 3DS spin-off series; North American soccer fans have been completely deprived. If you're in Japan, however, there's almost too much crazy...

Last week's Japanese charts brought big sales for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3DS, with the XL model contributing over 190,000 sales on its own. The good times keep coming for Nintendo in its homeland this week, with the latest results from Enterbrain showing strong performances in both software and hardware.
The big...

Fire Emblem Awakening may not be out in the West yet, but its Japanese equivalent — known as Fire Emblem: Kakusei — is about to get its second helping of DLC content.
The latest in a long line of turn-based RPGs from Intelligent Systems, Fire Emblem: Kakusei has been a massive commercial hit in its native homeland, which...

It's been getting teased for a number of months, but Capcom has finally confirmed a Japanese release date for upcoming 3DS Lost Planet spin-off E.X. Troopers: it'll hit stores on 22nd November and the standard version will cost ¥5,990 — just under £50 and a little over $75.
Capcom has also...

We already know that 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 have been able to boast of big launch sales in Japan, but we now have access to the full charts for a wider picture.
The Enterbrain software figures (via Andriasang), show that six of the top ten games are found on Nintendo systems, though Demon Training only...

Japanese theatre company Takarazuka Revue is currently readying a musical spin-off production of Capcom's Ace Attorney franchise, which will be held in January 2013. The show will be made up of an all-female cast complete with plenty of hair gel, and will be performing its second production based from a Phoenix Wright game, the first of...

We've already brought you news of 3DS XL enjoying a steady start in the UK, but figures for Japan are showing a positive weekend of sales for Nintendo both in terms of the new hardware and New Super Mario Bros. 2.
To start with 3DS XL, chart company Enterbrain has confirmed that over 193,000 units were sold in the first...

Full retail games can now be downloaded to Nintendo 3DS in Japan, but there was a problem or two early on. Nintendo's online service page reported server troubles on the eShop shortly after launch, though it's now been fixed.
Andriasang reports that the eShop issues came between 9:00am and 11:30am on the service's launch day. It...

Kirby may be little more than a pink blob with arms and legs, but he's become a beloved Nintendo mascot with a legion of dedicated fans. It's unsurprising that his anniversary is being celebrated, and it seems that plenty of Japanese gamers have shown their support by picking up Kirby's 20th Anniversary Special Collection...

The official website for Level-5 / Brownie Brown RPG Fantasy Life has finally burst into existence.
The website can be found here. It's all in Japanese, but if you pop over there you can at least see some new screens and artwork that show off the town and avatar system.
Much of the information was also published in Japanese magazine...

Retail downloads on the 3DS eShop start, for most of us, with New Super Mario Bros. 2 in mid-August. For Japanese gamers, however, it all starts in just eight days, the same day as the arrival of 3DS XL and Five Minute Demon Training, the next Brain Training entry that's also known as Onitore. A common criticism of the download...

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we haven't reported on the Japanese software and hardware charts every week recently, mainly because very little has changed. Despite that, we thought that we'd share the latest results, as at the very least the software chart includes some interesting games that we're pretty...

While game and hardware sales information can be limited or tough to get hold of for Europe and North America, we can always rely on Japan to bare all and reveal the movers and shakers in the country. One monthly chart that normally sees Nintendo nestling in top spot has had a bit of a shake-up today, though the news is...

Dragon Quest X will no doubt storm the Japanese charts with or without any advertising, but that hasn't stopped Square Enix putting together a cutesy trailer showing off the enemies and action in store.
Japanese players can pick up the MMO from 2nd August, with a particularly snazzy black Wii Dragon Quest X bundle on sale too. The game...

Get out your diaries and Japanese dictionaries, as Nintendo will be hosting a 'mini' Nintendo Direct conference on 18th July, next week. The broadcast will only be ten minutes long and will centre entirely around the upcoming 3DS game, Dr Kawashima's Demon Training, a sequel to the hugely successful Dr...

NES classic Mega Man is coming to the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan next week.
The Blue Bomber's legendary 8-bit adventure lands in Japan on 18th July for 500 Yen — around £3.99 or $6.30 — but expect the pricing to be slightly different when it reaches the West.
If you're interested in playing some Mega Man on the go but...

Tom Create is a Japanese developer that may be familiar to gamers who enjoy a lot of download titles from the GO series. The studio has produced DSiWare titles such as GO Series: Earth Saver and GO Series: Tower of Deus, with many being thoroughly decent downloads at a budget price. It now seems that the developer is...

Two of the world's most recognisable animals combined today in what scientists are probably calling "disgusting".
This Hello Kitty and Sonic the Hedgehog plush toy — officially called the Sonic x Hello Kitty Super Jumbo Plushy — is heading to Japan this weekend to commemorate the reopening of SEGA's flagship Joypolis arcade. It's...

Level-5 has been very cryptic so far with information about its upcoming release of Time Travelers in Japan this week, and things aren't about to get any clearer with these two latest trailers. Even with only three days before its launch on Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita, and ten days until Time Travelers releases on PSP, Level-5 are...

Plenty of gamers, including various members of the Nintendo Life team, thoroughly enjoyed Monster Hunter Tri, not least because it was a terrific Wii title that had the impressive scale and online functionality often reserved for its HD rivals. There was a nagging feeling amongst some, however, that the story in...